Railroad-tie.



L. G. PARKER.

RAILROAD TIE. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 21, 1911.

1,016,517. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

.9 7 zz a WITNESS/5 1 I; .Z INVENTOR. HpWw/W M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS G. PARKER, DEV-ALE STlMlVIIT, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WIL- LIAM A. PARKER, 01'! PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

BAILROAD- TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed April 27, 1911. Serial Nov 623,622.

porting and fastening rails used in railroad construction, and also to means for insulat ing the rails from their supporting and fastening structures when they are utilized as conductors of electric currents for operating signals or for other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provlde a rail-supporting tie of special construction and cooperating rail fastening devices of simple and durable construction that may be readily applied and as readily detached or removed when it is desired to replace a rail and that may also be relatively adjusted to accommodate rails of different sizes when it is desired to effect a lateral adjustment of a rail upon the tie.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple readily applied and effective means for insulating a rail from its supporting and fastening structure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 is a plan view of a portion of a rail and a portion of a tie equipped with rail fastening and insulating devices in accordance with my invention; Fig 2 is an end elevation and Fig. 3 a plan view of one of the fastening Wedges; Fig. at is a side elevation ofa portion of the tie and the rail fastening and insulating devices, the rail being shown in cross section and a portion of one insulating plate being broken away; Fig. is a view at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the tie in cross section and the rail fastening and in sulating devices in elevation; Figs. 6 and 7 are diagramn'iatic plan views illustrating two arrangements of rail-receiving recesses for adjacent ties.

In order to properly support the rails, I provide transversely disposed ties at frequent intervals, in accordance with the usual practice, but, according to the present invention, I utilize ties having certain new structural characteristics and employ, in conjunction therewith, special insulating and rail fastening devices which will be hereinafter more fully described.

As shown in the drawing, I employ metal,

preferably steel-ties 2 that are severally of substantially 'I-beam form and provided with a longitudinal rib 3 on its upper surface, said rib being preferably integral with the body of the tie and at suitable intervals provided with spaces or notches 4 to receive the rails 1, the ribs being cut away in order to provide such spaces or notches. The rib at each side of each space or notch 4c is overhang mg, and the inner face of the overhanging portion 5 is inclined downwardly and out- .w'a'rdly to a line 6 and, from the line 6 to the verticalmncr side 6 of the space, it is inclined upwardly, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 41. The inner face of the overhanging portion or'lip 5 of the rib 3 is beveled with reference to va horizontal plane, and the the vertical end wall 6 are in parallel vertical planes that make acute angles with the rail 1 in order to conform to corresponding beveled and inclined portions ofa wedge 10.

The wedge 10 is under-cut at the side next to the rail 1 and is provided with an inner face 11 which is inclined to the horizontal at such an angle as to conform substantially to the inclined upper surface of the base flange 12 of the rail 1. The wedge 10 is also provided with a hole 10 which extends through it from side to side to receive a bolt- 13, one end of which is bent at 14 to engage one edge of the top flange of the tie 2 and the other end of which is provided with a screw thread to receive a nut 15.

It will of course be understood that each rail-receivin g space or notch 4 has overhanging side walls or lips that are substantially alike in form and dimensions, and that a boundary lines of this beveled face and also wedge like that described is utilized at each have their ends bent downwardly over the edges of the tie 2, as indicated at 19. Portions of the outer edges of the plates 16 are extended and bent upwardly and inwardly .As indicated in the figures hereinbefore considered, the tie is of rolled steel I-beam form and is provided with an integral longitudina'l rib on itsupper surface which extends from end to end of the tie except as it is cutaway to form spaces for the rails, and, in order to facilitate the cutting away to form the spaces at a single operation, I

have indicated the corresponding lines of the opposite side walls of the rail spaces as parallel to each other, this construction also making it feasible to use interchangeable wedges for fastening the rail to the tie. It will be understood, however, that the top projections for cooperating with the fastening wedges may, or may not, extend from end to end of the tie, except as spaces are provided for the rail, though when the rib constitutes an integral part of a rolled metal tie it will naturally and properly be uninterrupted, except at the rail spaces. It will also be understood that the cross-sectional form of the tie may be different from what I have shown and that my invention is not limited to the employment of ties having integral ribs or projections or to ties formed of any specific material or materials.

In Fig. 6 I have shown diagrammatically two rails 1 and two supporting ties 2 for the purpose of indicating that corresponding lines of all rail space walls and wedges are parallel. By employing this arrangement-,- I am enabled to use a single form of wedge 10.

In Fig. 7 I have indicated diagrammatically the possibility of opposing the wedges of adjacent ties to each other by inclining the corresponding wall lines of adjacent rail spaces in different directions, it being observed that the lines of the walLs .of the spaces 20 and 21 of the tie 22 project in ditl'ereut directions and that the lines of the walls of the spaces 23 and 24 -of the lie 25 also project in diifercnl directions. the lines of the spaces 20 and 24 being parallel and the lines of the spaces '21 and 23 being also parallel, but it is not to be understood that l regard this arrangement necessarily preferable to the arrangement in which correspoiuling lines of the walls of all rail spaces are in parallel relation, as shown in Fig. (3. It will of coprse be ui'nlerstood that, with the arrangeni tnt shown in Fig. 7 it \\'Ill be necessary to employ right hand and left hand wedges,

and. that such arrangement will insure oppo site wedging effects for adjacent ties.

lVhatever be the arrangement adopted in practice, as regards the rail spaces and the form and the material of the tie, it will be observed that the rails will be effectively insulated and securely fastened in position and that the rails may be released readily by merely removing the nuts 15 from the bolts 13 and exerting a slight degree of pressure or a blow upon the narrow ends of the wedges.

What I claim is: t

1. A rail supporting and fastening structure comprising a tie, having on its upper surface projections spaced apart to recelve a rail, each of said projections being undercut to form a recess the rear wall of which is at an angle. to the central vertical plane of the rail to be clamped, and the under faces of the overhanging projections being inclined upwardly in the direction toward the rail and also being at an angle to the central. vertical plane of the rail, and a wedge adapted to'be inserted in each of said recesses, said wedge at its inner edge having a shoulder adapted to engage the edge of the rail base and an inclined lip adapted to overhang the rail base, and having its outer edge tapered to engage the rear wall of the recess and its top surface tapered onan angle to the central vertical plane of the rail, whereby when said wedge is forced into said recess it exerts a pressure inwardly against the edge of the base of the rail and downwardly against the top face of the base of the rail. i

2 A rail supporting and fastening strueture comprisin surface projections spaced apart to receive a rail, each of said projections being undercut to form a recess the rear wall of which is at an angle to the central vertical plane of the rail to be clamped, and the under face, oftheoverhanging projections being inclined upwardly in the direction toward the rail and also being at an angle to the central vertieal'plane of the rail, and a pair of wedges adapted to be oppositely inserted in said recesses, each wedge at itsinner edge having a shoulder adapted to engage the edge of the rail base and an inclined lip adapted. to overhang the rail base, and having its outer edgev tapered to engage the rear wall (ii -the recess and its top surface tapered on an angle to the central vertical plane of .thezrail', whereby when said wedges" are forced into said recesses they exert .a pressure inwardly; ngainst the edge of the base of the-rail and downwardly against the top face. of the. base of the rail.

3. A rail supporting and fastening structure comprising a lie having a rib project-. ing from its upper surface and being cut away at intervals to provide rail receiving spaces having overhanging projections, the rear walls of the spaces being vertical and at an angle to the central vertical plane of the rail to be clamped and the under faces of the overhiuiging projections being inclincd with reference to the horizonlal plane and being beveled with reference to the vera tie having on its upper-- the rail base, whereby when said wedges are forced into said rail receiving spaces they provide inward and downward p ssur against the base of the rail.-

4. A rail-supporting and fastening structure comprising a tie provided with overhanging top projections spaced apart to re ceive a rail between them and having beveled inner faces, bevel faced wedges inter posed between the base flange of a rail and said bevel faces, metal faced insulating plates interposed between the rail flanges and the tie and between said flanges and the wedges, and locking devices for the wedges.

5. A rail-supporting and fastening structure comprising a tie having a top rib cut away to form a rail-receiving space having overhanging sides, the inner faces of which are beveled and substantially parallel, insulating plates having downwardly turned ends to engage the edges of the tie and upwardly and inwardly turned sides to fit around the edges of the base flanges of a rail, wedges adapted to fit between the insulating plates and the overhanging sides of said rail-receiving space, and means for fastening the wedges in their locking positions.

6. A rail supporting and fastening structure comprising a metallic tie, a pair of insulating plates fitting over the base flanges of the rail and extending underneath the same, each of said plates comprising a sheet of insulation and a metal plate on each face thereof, and means for securing a rail and said plates to the tie.

'7. A rail supporting and fastening structure comprising a metallic tie, a pair of insulating plates therefor each ctnnprising a sheet of insulation and a metal plate on each face thereof, said plates adapted to lie between the rail base and the tie and provided with upturned portions engaging and overhanging the rail base flanges and with downturned end portions engaging the edges of the tie, and means for securing a rail and said insulating plates to the tie.

8. A rail supporting and fastening structure comprising a tie having on its upper surface projections spaced apart to receive a rail, each of said projections being undercut to forin a. recess the rear wall of which is vertical and at an angle to the central vertical plane of the rail to be clamped, and the under face of the overhanging projection be ing inclined in the direction toward the rail first downwardly and then upwardly and also being at an angle to the central vertical plane of the ra l, and a wedge adapted to be inserted in each of said recesses, said wedge at its inner edge having a shoulder adapted to engage the edge of the rail base and an inclined lip adapted to overhang the rail base, and having its outer edge tapered to engage the rear wall of the recess and having its top surface inclined and tapered on an angle to the central vertical plane of the rail to fit the under face of the overhanging projection, whereby when said wedge is forced into said recess it exerts a pressure inwardly against the edge of the base of the,

rail and downwardly against the top face of the base of the rail.

9. A rail tie comprising a body provided with a longitudinal rib on its upper surface, said rib being transversely notched to provide overhanging beveled lips, rail fasteners provided with beveled bodies for wedging engagement with said lips and with railengaging means, said bodies being provided with holes, and bolts located in said holes.

and provided with hooks to engage the tie and with nuts to engage said bodies.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

'Louis 0. PARKER.

l/Vitnesses: I

\VM. G. PA mum, Guns. 1). Murz. 

